A Picnic Amongst the Suzaku Seishi
by Dralion Lily
Summary: It's been a few years since their last adventure, and Suzaku Seishi have all been reincarnated into this world. They discuss their past and current lives over a picnic. Very small crossover with Card Captor Sakura. Lots of pairings in this story: TamahomexMiaka, HotohorixHouki, ChichirixKouran, NurikoxOC.


**A Picnic Amongst the Suzaku Seishi **by Cross

**Disclaimer:** Fushigi Yuugi is the work of the wonderful Watase Yuu. It was borrowed for this piece of work. :-) If you haven't noticed, the story is not under my pen name. If you _have_ noticed, great, you're perceptive! My very good and best friend Cross wrote this story for me – because I forced it from her! Haha! I loved it immensely, and I have decided to post it to share it with you all. Yes, I have asked for her permission.

* * *

Tamahome stared lovingly at his wife, Miaka, as she stirred the tealeaves and water with a whisk in the traditional Japanese way. The couple had been married for over thirty years now. Their youngest child was now safely ensconced in college, no doubt enjoying the pleasures of keg parties and girls. The couple was now free to engage in the activities they had limited themselves to for the sake of their children's emotional and mental state of mind. Tamahome reflected on what a good decision it had been to buy a nice, large house. It had not only served well in the long run, meaning their kids actually had an indoor place to run around in, but also to add to the married couple's privacy. America was much more promiscuous about these natural occurrences, considering the nation's history, but nevertheless, that did not satisfy the strict upbringing both Tamahome and Miaka had experienced.

It was no wonder that Hotohori and Nuriko had both passed out when the couple finally agreed to get engaged and end a long period of dating.

Miaka shared a smile with her husband. She knew that he had been watching her and it gave her a great deal of comfort that no matter where she was, she could always feel her husband nearby in her heart. He had confessed the same thing one rainy evening when they shared in the discovery that both of them were afraid of thunder. As she carried the tea tray into the dining room and set it on the table, Tamahome hurried to pull out a chair for her. This was one aspect of Western culture that Miaka appreciated.

As both sat down, and their eyes met for a moment, it seemed like they were as shy and awkward as if they were meeting for the first time.

"But it is not the first time," Miaka said softly.

"Nor will it be the last," Tamahome added firmly. They touched hands and as Tamahome stroked Miaka's hand, he noticed the few wrinkles that had been added to her once smooth skin while she noted that the knuckles of his hand, which was still strong enough to crack stones, were protruding more than usual. Miaka wore her hair almost halfway down her back now and there were a few strands of gray mixed in with rich auburn. Tamahome's fine, dark blue-gray hair now held a few bands of silver as well and both had their share of face wrinkles, though slight and very few for two people in their sixties, and the faint traces of crow's feet lines around their eyes. He grimaced as he reached up to push his hair off his forehead and as always, she stopped him and brushed it back herself.

"I wonder if I should dye it," he said out loud.

"The silver makes you look more distinguished," she replied.

"You are saying I was not before?"

"No, you were a young boy with hot blood and roving eyes."

"Well, I am not anymore. Except for the-"

"If you even think of saying roving eyes, I'll-"

Tamahome grinned as he recalled the way his teacher and his teacher's wife, two of Byakko's Seishi, used to act. History does repeat itself.

"Miaka!" There was the sound of a door slamming open and then the grinning, feline face of a certain Seishi of Suzaku appeared.

"Tasuki! Don't you know the meaning of the word 'knock'?" As usual, when it came to Tasuki, Tamahome was always smoldering for a fight. The two began shouting at each other as if they were still in their teens.

"You two never change," Nuriko remarked as he stepped in, leaning slightly on a cane. Nuriko's right leg had been injured in an undercover mission three years ago and ever since then, he had had a limp is his walk, which he covered by using a cane. The one he was using now happened to be a gift from Chichiri who had picked it up while on a trip in London. The shaft was made of ebony and the silver knob was in the shape of a lion's head. The cane also concealed a sword but no one besides Nuriko and Chichiri knew of that because Nuriko had no cause to use it.

"If they ever changed, it would cause a disturbance in the human spirit, no da," joked the person who had gived Nuriko the cane. Miaka smiled as she went up to hug Chichiri and Nuriko; Tamahome and Tasuki were still wrestling on the living room floor. Chichiri's phrase always reminded her of how alike the Seishi and their reincarnations were.

"None for me, Miaka?" a familiar, low voice said teasingly. Hotohori grinned as he set down the picnic basket.

"Hotohori!" Miaka exclaimed and immediately ran to him, leaving Chichiri and Nuriko bereft.

"Isn't it just dandy of her to run straight to Hotohori," Nuriko pretended to grumble, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips.

"Well, the Emperor and Miaka have a special relationship, no da," Chichiri said.

"No longer Emperor, Chichiri," Hotohori said.

"Special relationship?" Tasuki and Tamahome exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh, stop it, you two," Miaka said, laughing. "Who made the basket, Hotohori? We know it wasn't you."

The former Emperor blushed as his complete inability to cook, one of his few failings, was revealed anew.

"No, Houki made it," Hotohori explained. "She made one for us before she went to visit Sakura and Boushin." Tamahome grimaced as he was reminded that his little daughter was no longer so little and Hotohori just gave a wry smile in return.

"Speaking of which, where are Mitsukake and Chiriko?" Tasuki asked, scratching the back of his neck. He was really the only one of the Seishi who had decided to let his hair grow long. Right now, it was tied back in a ponytail.

"Mitsukake has practice with his team and Chiriko had to go give a lecture on the history of Genghis Khan and later on, Attila the Hun," Nuriko explained. "So, how are the wedding plans going, Chichiri?"

"Oh, Kouran and I are still deciding on whether to have it indoors or outdoors," Chichiri replied, blushing a deep red. "How is Junko, Nuriko?" The counterattack proved effective since Nuriko blushed almost as red as Chichiri.

"She's fine," he answered. "She's working on the living room of these newlyweds."

"Newlyweds?" Tamahome asked.

"Yeah, some Chinese guy named Li Syaoran," Nuriko answered. "He's bishonen but she is a little ditzy."

"Oh." The group's conversation halted long enough for the contents of the picnic basket to be laid on the table. The gleam in Miaka's eyes when it came to food had never diminished throughout the years. Houki had made them prosciutto sandwiches with plenty of lettuce and tomatoes, a large bowl of chocolate pudding and some fresh peaches from Hotohori's orchard. The former emperor had turned into an apt gardener and was currently planning on planting some apple trees as well. The green tea Miaka had recently mixed was acceptable for drinks but Tasuki, Chichiri and Nuriko chose sake.

"So, Sakura and Boushin are married now," said Tasuki.

"By Chichiri, no less," Hotohori added, gesturing at the magician-monk who now living as a Shinto priest.

"So…is Sakura pregnant yet?" Tasuki asked, glancing slyly at Tamahome.

"What?!" roared Tamahome. If he had still been a Suzaku seishi, no doubt the "Ogre" sign would have blazed on his forehead.

"I was only-" Tasuki grinned and shook his head at the other's fury. Before he knew it, he was being lifted up and carried toward the window.

"Aah! Yamete!"

Tamahome blinked and, mimicking Rurouni Kenshin, said, "Oro." Then, they both fell over.

Miaka, Hotohori, Nuriko and Chichiri began laughing.

"Your husband never changes, does he, Miaka?" Nuriko asked rhetorically.

"No, he wouldn't be Tamahome if he did," Miaka said, nodding happily.

* * *

The End.

Author's note: If you're wondering if this fanfic has anything to do with _Precious Things_, you could say that. _Precious Things _was built over this idea, even though this story was originally constructed as a gag. So, yeah, it gave birth to my first piece of fanfic work. :)


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